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"Its ruined now." Lucina laughed as she rested her head in the crook of Adrian's neck, feeling better at the prospect of a ball. "It was my luck to fall exactly in the middle of a mud puddle." She frowned before giving his neck a quick kiss. "Thank goodness that a handsome farm boy came to help me." She said, smiling at the memory though she had lashed out rather rudely when they had first met, Lucina was thankful that he had still taken her in.
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Adrian grinned as he held her close, "Mmm, thank goodness I was 'ome when ye fell. I'd hate t' 'ave lost ye t' the farm down th' road. I rather like 'avin' ye here, even if ye did like t' yell a' me when ye first came," he added as he snuck a tender kiss upon her lips with a chuckle.
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Lucina blushed a bright red at her actions before burying her face in Adrian's neck, her arms wrapping tighter around him as she suppressed a yawn. "Maybe we should get some sleep." She said softly as her eyelids fluttered sleepily shut.
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"Mmm, tha' migh' be a good idea. Don' need ye grumpy in the mornin' 'n' revertin' back t' yellin' at me," Adrian teased as he snuck one last tender kiss upon her lips before resting his cheek against her head, his fingers running lightly through her hair while the other hand caressed her back as he fell blissfully asleep.
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Lucina could only muster a small smile and a murmur that sounded alot like 'I love you' before letting herself fall asleep, her dreams filled with flashes of her home and Adrian though the bitterness from before was gone and was replaced with a bliss that could only be reached in dreams.
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When the dawn broke, Adrian reached up and pulled the curtains over the windows tighter before snuggling closer to Lucina, hearing Lori in the next room leaving to take care of the barn.
- "Stupid Lucina.. Always stealin' Adrian away.. Always landin' me with th' chores.. I can' wait fer them t' marry 'n' leave," Lori said bitterly to herself as she marched out to barn and took care of the morning chores. |
As Lucina cnuggled closer to her fiancee, not waking even in the morning light, a red haired boy nervously made his way to the Sarlins' farm with a bundle of mail tucked under his arm. The mail man had fallen in town which resulted in a twisted ankle and Johnny had been more then willing to take the mail up the the Sarlins. He knew it was wrong to snoop but his eyes had landed on an invitation to the Byrnes' ball that Saturday night, one identical to the one in his own mail box.
Johnny looked nervously ahead of him as he turned onto the dirt road that led to the Sarlins' farm, his nerves getting the best of him. He wondered idly if Lori was awake yet and if she would answer the door for him. The thought excited him at first as he thought of sweeping her off her feet with his poetic words though he knew that the moment he laid eyes on her his mouth would be as dry as cotton. Kicking the dusty road in dismay, Johnny neared the Sarlins' door and knocked shyly. I probably won't even see her... He mused unhappily. Her mother will probably answer the door. Or Adrian... Such thoughts were disappointing. |
Coming out of the barn with a fresh pail of milk, Lori looked up to find Johnny standing at her door. Eying him curiously, Lori called out as she walked towards him, trying not to slosh the pail, "Mornin' Johnny. Wha' brings ye 'ere so early in th' morn? Can ye get tha' door fer me? Come in 'n' I'll make a pot o' tea, it's a long trip from th' city 'n' Mum won' let me 'ere th' end o' it if I don't invite ye proper 'n' offer ye some tea," Lori said with a laugh as she reached him and looked up at him with a smile, a few beads of sweat upon her forehead and neck from the chores.
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Johnny could only nod politely as he held the door open for her, his voice, true to form, disappearing at the sight of her. Maybe it was the morning light but Johnny wondered for a moment if she had become even more beautiful since he last saw her. "Uhm, Mr. McLoughlin twisted his ankle deliverin' mail." Johnny explained nervously as he followed Lori into the house, setting the mail on the table.
"So I offered t' take aroun' some mail fo' em. A few of us did." He said, scratching the back of his neck as he slipped off his shoes at the door, not wanting to track dirt into their house. "Looks like ye got 'n' invitation t' the Byrnes' ball." He nodded nonchalantly to the mail as if he hadn't noticed the letter when he first started walking to the farm. |
"Oh? Tha's mighty kind o' ye's. Is he alrigh'?" Lori inquired as she walked into the house and stepped around him. "I don' know why they keep sendin' us Ball invitations," Lori sighed sadly, "Mum ne'er let's me go unless Adrian does, 'n' ye know how Adrian is," Lori said as she put the pail on the counter before returning to the door and taking off her boots, "Please, sit, I'll put on a pot o' tea," Lori said with a smile before returning to the cupboards, getting out a teapot, filling it with water from the barrel in the house, and hanging it over the fireplace.
"Ye know, th' las' time a Ball came 'round, Lucina wasn't 'ere. I wonder if I can talk 'im int' goin', t' show Lucina 'round 'n' introduce 'er, ye know," Lori thought happily as she sat across from Johnny, her chin resting upon her hands, her elbows propping her chin up, "I 'aven't been t' a Ball in so long.. Were ye been t' many lately Johnny?" |
"Uh, no." Johnny smiled shyly as he sat down across from Lori. "They're not really me cup o' tea but I was wonderin'..." Johnny said his voice trailing off as he mustered up all the courage he had. Though really the worst thing she could say was no and as simple as it sounded, he had fallen hard for Lori in the past few years and the thought of her rejection sent his nerves haywire. "I mean. If ye want t' go then maybe ye would let me 'ave th' honor o' taken ye." He rushed out as the words were a script and he was hurrying out his lines, not wanting to forget them. He felt his cheeks turn a traitor red as he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to seem unfazed though his legs were trembling underneath the table.
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Lori blushed a deep scarlet as she simply stared at Johnny, rather dumb founded to say the least. No one had ever asked to escort her to a Ball, not even Mr. Landom.. Speaking of whom, she hadn't heard from him in awhile... Not since her rejection of his suggestion..
Considering the proposal, Lori eyes Johnny curiously, wondering if it was some kind of joke, "Johnny, yer serious in wantin' t' escort me t' th' Byrnes' Ball? Johnny, ye don' need t' ask me jus' so I can go.. Ye don' need t' force yerself," Lori added with a laugh as she stood and took the tea from the fireplace and brought it to the counter. Taking out two tea cups, Lori added spearmint tealeaves to the cups before pouring the hot water into the cups. Setting the kettle back on the counter, Lori set both cups upon a small tray before filling a small pitcher with milk and placing it, with a bowl of sugar and two spoons, onto the tray. Picking up the tray, Lori brought it to the table and set it in the middle of the table, before serving the tea. Sitting down, Lori smiled as she began adding sugar to her tea, "I'm afraid we're out o' honey. Mum fergot t' pick it up when we were in town last. I 'ope ye like spearmint," Lori said with a smile before taking a sip of her tea with a content sigh, "I'm afraid it's me weakness." |
"Spearmint is jus' fine." Johnny smiled nervously, still not having an answer to his question. "I jus' thought ye might wanna go wit' me but if not I won' be offended." He promised softly, his lips revealing a gentle smile, one that rarely came out unless Lori was around. "An' I think ye would look dazzlin' in a ball gown." He added sheepishly.
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Lori blushed an even darker scarlet as she hid behind her teacup. "Johnny, honestly, yer such a flatt'rer. If Mum will allow me, I'd love t' go with ye, Johnny," Lori said with a warm smile and a small nod, "Mum should be up later this afternoon, if ye'd like t' call fer me official answer?"
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"O' course." Johnny grinned, fighting to keep the smile from reaching each of his ears. "Shouldn' Adrian be doin' th' chores this early?" He pondered, wondering where her older brother was when Lori was downstairs milking cows.
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"Aye, that lazy rascal should. Bu', he's too busy with his fianee," Lori sighed as she sipped her tea, "She takes all 'is time 'n' he's been neglectin' 'is chores mos' days since she came. Ye met 'er at th' festival I'm sure. Beau'iful blond tha' hangs all o'er me brother? I don' like 'er. Th' sooner they marry 'n' move th' bet'r. A' least then I won' 'ave t' see them all o'er each other all th' time."
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"Tha' was Adrian's fiancee?" Johnny asked with wide eyes before letting out a low whistle. "Where'd he go 'n' find her? She couldn't be from round here." He mused before looking curiously at Lori. "Why don' ye like 'er?" He wondered, the girl he had met with Adrian at the festival had seemed nice enough.
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"She migh' as well 'ave fell from th' sky. She 'as no fam'ly bu' is expected t' stay 'ere fer a' leas' another nine months. Maybe less if she marries Adrian. Ye see, she may seem like a sweetheart 'round guys, bu' she's really no'. She's always doin' somethin' t' anger me 'n' nip a' me. Her high 'n' might attitude gets on me nerves," Lori scowled as she finished her tea and stood to pour herself some more spearmint tea. "More tea?"
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"Yes, thank ye." Johnny smiled as he stood from the table and walked over towards Lori, feeling suddenly nervous at their closeness while he held out his cup to her. "Tha' odd though. She semmed nice a' th' fest'val." He mused, his eyes locked on Lori's delicate features which were highlighted from the light shining in through the kitchen window. Hold it together... Johnny reminded himself as he looked down at the countertop.
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"Th' way she acts, she thinks she's a Goddess! 'n' she's always remarkin' 'bout how she knows wha' th' weather's gonna be as if she created it! She's no' all there, I assure ye. 'n' she's makin' Adrian int' a worthless husband with all 'er beguilement," Lori sighed as she poured them each a cup of tea before leaning back upon the counters' edge, looking up at Johnny, "I suppose she isn' all tha' bad, bu' she jus' gets on me nerves how she stormed in here, unannounced, 'n' took o'er our lives 'n' got Adrian t' propose no more than a month lat'r. It's jus'.. strange."
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"Cert'nly sounds strange." Johnny remarked as he took a sip of his tea, holding back the urge to stretch out his hand and caress Lori's cheek. "Maybe sh' jus' has a knack fo' these things? Me mum knows when it's gonna rain. She says 'er ankles swell t' twice their size when it's gonna rain." He offered, blushing a deep scarlet from he'd just said. "Thanks fer the tea, Lori but I bes' be on me way." He mumbled quickly, feeling like a fool for going on about his mother so. Johnny gave her a small smile before pulling on his boots and hurrying out the door back towards the city.
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Lori couldn't help but laugh as she went to the table and added sugar to her tea. Taking a sip, Lori considered his words about his mother, another laugh pulling at her lips. "Hmm, perhaps he's righ'. Perhaps she's like his mum. 'ave t' admit, seein' 'er ankles swell'd be 'ilarious," Lori mused to herself as she sat and sipped her tea.
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Lucina sighed happily as she woke up in the morning's light, wriggling her toes before stretching her hwole body to the length of the bed. Looking over at Adrian, Lucina pressed her lips against the base of his throat and slowly worked her way up his chin and to his lips, giving him a gentle kiss.
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"Mm? Mm.." Sleepily, Adrian awoke to something pressing upon his skin. Taking a minute to register it was Lucina, Adrian smiled and returned her kiss with a warm smile, "Mornin'. Sleep well?"
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"Mmhmm." Lucina purred as she hooked a leg over Adrian's hips, pulling him closer to her. "I love you." She said softly as she reached an arm around Adrian's neck, tangling it in his hair.
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